Having your signature legalised

If you are a Dutch national living abroad, the Dutch embassy or consulate may, in certain circumstances, be able to legalise your signature. You will need to sign the document in question in front of a consular officer.

The legalisation of signatures can for example be required to arrange power of attorney for an inheritance or for the sale of property.

How does signature legalisation work?

Your document must be in Dutch, English, French or German. Documents in other languages must be translated by a sworn translator. If the sworn translator is registered outside the Netherlands, you must have the translation legalised by the local authorities.

Sign the document at your appointment at the embassy or consulate. Signatures must be legalised in person. They cannot be legalised by post. Legalisation only serves to confirm that the signature is genuine. The legalisation of a signature says nothing about the content or legal status of the document.

Sometimes the embassy or consulate will first check with the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs whether a signature can be legalised.

Preparations and making an appointment

You should first ask the authority that requires the document (for example, your bank, a notary or a municipality) whether they will accept a signature that has been legalised by an embassy or consulate.